CLSU Hosts UC-SEARCA Int'l Summer Short-term Program 2025

The Central Luzon State University (CLSU), through its International Affairs Office (IAO), in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), formally opened the International Summer Short-term Program (ISSP) 2025 on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability yesterday, November 17, 2025. Now in its fifth year, the joint program highlights key sustainability areas, including crop biotechnology, mushroom pharming, and precision and digital agriculture. As an affiliate member of the University Consortium, CLSU continues to advance mutually beneficial partnerships by maximizing the shared expertise of member institutions through collaborative research, staff and student mobility programs, and strengthened academic linkages. On its first day, 23 participants from UC-affiliates and other participating institutions in Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines were welcomed to CLSU through a courtesy call with University President Dr. Evaristo A. Abella, led by IAO Director Dr. Parsons N. Hail, followed by a campus riding tour. Afterward, participants toured around the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, with a courtesy call at the Office of the City Mayor, Hon. Baby Armi L. Alvarez. They also had the opportunity to visit several key research and development centers, including the Department of Agriculture– Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech), the DA-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the Green Innovation for Tomorrow Corporation (GIFT Corp.) rice husk–fired power plant, and the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (PCC). During the opening program and socialization night, SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita S. Sombilla delivered her message of support, recognizing the program’s ongoing efforts to champion sustainable and innovative agricultural practices across Southeast Asia. Ms. Blessie Saez, Senior Program Associate for SEARCA’s Education and Collective Learning Department, shared various opportunities available through SEARCA and the University Consortium that benefit both students and faculty members of partner institutions. Dr. Khin Mar Cho, an international agriculture, food systems, and nutrition specialist and adjunct professor of the University, also delivered an inspirational message to the international and local participants. The two-week activity, running from November 16 to 30, offers three specialized tracks: Sustainable Crop Biotechnology: Basic Molecular Biology Techniques for Bacterial Identification hosted by PhilRice; Sustainable Mushroom Pharming hosted by the College of Science and the Center for Tropical Mushroom Research and Development (CTMRD); and Precision and Digital Agriculture hosted by the University Research and Extension Office and the Precision and Digital Agriculture Center (PreDict). Over the next few days, participants are set to engage in knowledge-sharing sessions, cultural immersion activities, laboratory work, institutional tours, and extension activities as part of their holistic learning experience.